Fail big > Lock in > Level up.

Hey FS4T family! How are we feeling today? If the answer is anything other than “INSPIRED!”, then you’re in the right place, because after this short read we’re certain that you’ll be feeling ready to take bold risks, challenge your thinking, and be your best self. How are we going to do that? By shifting our focus to an experience everyone knows too well: failure. A bit of a gloomy topic? Maybe. And yet, almost every successful entrepreneur and creator would agree that failure is not a glorified error, but the launchpad for growth. There is always a chance that your failures turn into fruitless mistakes if, and only if, you choose to ignore the lesson at hand. Growth only happens when reflection is involved.

At FS4T, we encourage failure! Sounds odd, but couldn’t be more true. On our team, we make it a priority to talk about our failures, and through these conversations, we’ve built a strong case for the necessity of failure, especially for our children and teens! But we know you don’t have all day, so we will break it down into the three most important aspects of failure!

First, failure is not final—it’s feedback. Every time something doesn’t go as planned, it’s actually pointing you in a better direction. It shows you what doesn’t work, helping you refine your approach and move forward with more clarity and intention. In many ways, failure can be even more helpful than success, because it exposes what needs to change and highlights areas that might otherwise go unnoticed. When you begin to see failure as useful information rather than a stopping point, it becomes far less intimidating and far more empowering. Sometimes the only shift you need is in perspective: this didn’t work… yet.

Second, failure builds resilience in a way nothing else can. It teaches you how to recover, how to stay steady in the face of disappointment, and how to keep going when things feel uncertain or uncomfortable. Over time, those moments of getting back up begin to shape a stronger, more confident version of you—one that isn’t easily shaken by temporary setbacks. You start to trust yourself more, knowing that even if things don’t go as planned, you have the ability to adapt and push forward. The people who go the distance aren’t the ones who avoid failure—they’re the ones who learn how to outlast it.

Finally, failure fuels creativity and innovation. When the expected path falls through, you’re pushed to think differently and explore new possibilities you may have never considered otherwise. It challenges you to step outside of routine patterns and approach problems with fresh eyes and new ideas. Some of the best breakthroughs are born from moments where things didn’t go according to plan, leading to unexpected and often better outcomes. In that space of challenge and constraint, creativity thrives, and new solutions begin to take shape in ways success alone could never spark.

Ever wondered if your favorite athletes, writers, actors, and creators have ever failed? Well, they have. And it’s a good thing too, because each failure has led to future accomplishments!

LA Dive! by Steven Spielberg

Did you know that Steven Spielberg once founded a submarine-themed restaurant named “Dive!”? It’s likely you’ve never heard of it—and that’s probably because it was only open for a few short years before closing down due to dwindling traffic. But we never focus on that, because the Spielberg we know is the man responsible for celebrated films like Jaws, E.T., and Jurassic Park.

What about Natalie Portman’s vegan shoe line? Never heard of it? That’s because the partnership fell through within a year, but she is still recognized for unforgettable performances in Star Wars films, Marvel’s Thor films, and more!

J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, once said, “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all—in which case, you fail by default.”

And even though we could go on and on and on…… and on and on and on, we’ll let you go with one final thought: it’s better to fail before you fly than to never try ;)